Memories of the Heart
by ladylibra73
Summary: Ranger and Stephanie pursue a skip and end up getting into a terrible accident and lose their memories. Can they find each other again?


_**Memories of the Heart**_

 _ **Ranger and Stephanie pursue a skip and end up getting into a terrible accident and lose their memories. Can they find each other again?**_

 _ **A/N: Thanks again to my wonderful Beta Writer PhillyGirl27.**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

It was a cool, gray and rainy day in Trenton.

"This is a terrible day to be looking for Alex Casey. This is a day for sleeping or watching a movie."

"After we catch her."

They arrived at Alex's house five minutes later. The house looked it was going to fall apart and the yard was all dirt.

"This should be an easy capture," said Carlos knocking.

"I hope so."

The door opened and Stephanie saw that a small skinny, brunette girl who answered the door.

"Are you Alex Casey?"

"Yes I am."

"We're Bond Enforcement. You need to reschedule..."

Alex shoved them both aside and ran to her car and drove off. Ranger and Stephanie ran to their car and sped off. Ranger found Alex zigzagging around cars. Ranger caught up with her as Alex turned onto the highway. Ranger drove up behind Alex and hit her. Alex swerved into the other lane as cars honked as Ranger kept up with Alex. Ranger had a clear shot of shooting out her tire.

"Take the wheel. I'm going to shoot out her tire."

"Be careful."

Ranger drove along side her and aimed for the tire when Alex purposely swerved over and hit Ranger's car hard causing it to careen off the side of the road. It flipped over twice, landing upside down while she kept on going. Several people pulled over, got out of their cars and called 911. The ambulance arrived minutes later. They were rushed to the hospital and taken immediately into the waiting ORs.

A short time later, Tank, Bobby and Lester strode into St. Francis Hospital and up to the nurses' station.

"Hi," said Bobby. "I believe a man and a woman were brought here together earlier. They were in a nasty car accident. I hold their Medical Power of Attorney," he said as he passed them copies of those two documents for their records. "Do you know how they are?"

"Names?"

"Carlos Manoso and his wife, Stephanie Plum."

The nurse checked her computer.

"They are both still in surgery. They both have severe head trauma. I will let the doctor know that you're here. And you are?"

"My name is Bobby Brown, this is Pierre and Lester, who is his brother."

"Ok. If you could have a seat in the waiting room."

"Thank you."

"Carlos' WIFE? And Lester is his brother? What was that about, Bobby?" asked Tank.

"I want them to be in the same room, ideally. I know that's what they would want. And Lester as his brother instead of his cousin makes him also Steph's brother-in-law. Those relationships, on top of the Medical Power of Attorney, means that we should be told everything that is happening on both of them."

"Good thinking, Bobby."

Three hours passed and the doctor still hasn't shown. Then they saw two doctors come walking down the hall. Tank, Bobby and Lester got up and walked toward them. Both doctors had dark hair and appeared to be in their fifties.

"Are you Bobby Brown?"

"Yes I am."

"I'm Dr. Monroe and this is Dr. Bartlett. I operated on Carlos and he operated on Stephanie. Both of them suffered severe head trauma."

"Stephanie flat lined twice, but I managed to get her back. Her head got hit pretty hard and there was severe bleeding, so I took care of that right away. We're watching to see if there will be any blood clots as well as unusual swelling on her brain. She dislocated her shoulder, broken ankle and has a black eye," said Dr. Bartlett.

"Carlos had flat lined once due to some blood clots on his brain and they have been taken care of. We're watching him as well for more swelling. He fractured his forearm and has a couple of broken ribs. We'll know in the next twenty fours how everything goes. They're very lucky to be alive."

"May we go see them?"

"Sure. Down the hall, last door on the right."

"Thank you, Doctors."

Tank, Bobby and Lester walked down the hall and into the room. They noticed Carlos first. Stephanie lay next to the window. The curtain was pulled, separating the beds. They both had bandages on their heads and bruises on their faces. Bobby checked Carlos' medical chart first, then Steph's. He stood between them at the foot of the beds.

"I'm not sure if you can hear me, but I'm so glad the both of you are alive. I don't know what I would have done if both of you had died. You two are very lucky. I know Alex got away, but we'll get her, so get well. We have to go, but we will see you both later."

Ranger was surrounded by white. He had no idea where he was and didn't see anyone around.

"Hello, is anyone here?" Ranger asked looking around.

Then he saw a beautiful woman with long curly brown hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen walking toward him. She was exquisite.

"Hi, do you happen know where we are?"

"No, I don't. I just showed up here," she said looking around.

"Hello, is anybody here?" Ranger asked again. Suddenly, a man with glasses in a white suit appeared, walking towards them.

"Oh my, what are you two doing here? You're not supposed to be here," said the man.

"Where exactly is here?" Ranger asked.

"Heaven, of course. I'm sending you two back down this instant," he said tapping on his tablet, like he was taking their ice cream order instead of redirecting their lives.

"What happened to us?"

"You two were in a car accident and you both just had some complications on the operating table, but those have been mitigated. I don't want to see you two until you're old and gray. See ya," the man said tapping again on his handheld computer.

"I have a pulse!"

"I have a pulse on this one also."

"Keep a closer eye one on these two. That can't happen again," said the doctor leaving the room.

Three days later, Ranger opened his eyes then closed them. The pain in his head was sharp. Slowly, he reopened his eyes. He tried to move to find the control button for his bed. ' _Damn_!' he thought. ' _My ribs hurt like a bitch_ !' He pressed the button and sat up slowly, looking around his curtained area. He was in a hospital. A nurse walked in.

"Oh, you're awake. I will page the doctor," the nurse said quickly leaving.

A few minutes later, the doctor walked in.

"Oh, good to see you. How are you feeling?"

"In pain. What happened to me?"

"You were in a car accident a few days ago. You're lucky to be alive."

"Car accident?"

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"Traumatic amnesia. Don't worry, I'm sure everything will come back in a few days. If you need morphine, just press that button."

Ranger pressed the button and fell asleep in seconds.

Ranger woke up at six. His head didn't hurt as much as before. His mind seemed clearer, although he still had no memories. But his gut was screaming at him that he had to sneak out of the hospital and drop off the grid if he wanted to live. Not understanding it, just operating on instinct, he carefully got up, unhooked himself from the machines at his bedside, went straight to the door and opened it. He startled the two guards outside his door. He had no idea who they were or why they were there. He only knew he had to leave. NOW.

"I'm just going for a little walk. I hate staying in bed all day." He walked down the hall and found a set of blue scrubs on a shelf and slippers below. Ranger grabbed a set and slipped into the bathroom to quickly change. Seeing the large bandage around his head, he unraveled it and placed it in the trash. His head had been shaved only in one small area that barely showed his surgical wounds. Just so he fit in better, he covered his head with the scrub cap that was with the set he picked up. Once he was dressed, he saw one of his guards entering the bathroom. Ranger looked at him and said,

"Hospital gown was drafty." As he passed by the guard to leave, he turned and chopped one hand into the side of the man's neck, knocking him out cold. Ranger looked at his hand and the guard, now lying on the floor, with wonder. ' _What the fuck was that move_?' he thought, impressed but puzzled as to how he knew to do that. He shook his head clear as he opened the door a bit. His other guard was looking the other way so he hustled out, found the elevator open, entered and pressed one. When the door opened in the lobby, a doctor in scrubs walked in and Ranger walked out. He hailed a nearby cab and headed to New York.

 _ **Chapter 2**_

The next morning, Stephanie woke up with the sun shining in her face. She put her hands over her eyes to cover the brightness.

"Oh, you're awake. I'll close the blinds so the light doesn't bother you. I'll get the doctor," the nurse said walking out quickly.

A minute later, the doctor came in.

"Hi there, how are you feeling?"

"Where am I?"

"In the hospital. You and your boyfriend were in a nasty car accident a few days ago. Your boyfriend is MIA." Ranger's men had confessed to the doctor after Ranger went missing, that they were not, in fact, married, just dating. If they each had awoken with their memories intact, the men knew that they would have insisted on being in the same room.

"I was in a car accident?"

"You don't remember either?"

"No, what's going on?"

"Nothing. What you have is traumatic amnesia. It's pretty common in these cases. Your brain went through a traumatic event. I'm sure your memory will come back. Does your head hurt?"

"It does a little."

"Just hit the morphine button and it will ease the pain, allowing you to sleep more. I'll be back later," the doctor said, leaving the room.

Stephanie fell asleep as soon as the drug kicked in.

Later that day, the doctor was checking in on Steph when Tank arrived at her room. She was still sleeping and Tank carefully lifted some of her curls up and kissed her forehead.

The doctor explained that she had awoken that morning and had no memory of the accident either.

"I'm sure everything will come back to her. In amnesia cases like this, the memories usually come back in a few weeks."

"I hope so. She's like a little sister to all of us," said Tank, leaving the room with the doctor.

Ranger entered Savage Men. He walked up to the woman behind the bar who was drying some glassware. She had long, shining, brown hair and stunning brown eyes, the same skin tone as his and she was slim. He liked what he saw. He smiled his 200-watt smile.

"Hi, may I help you?" she asked him with a saucy smile, as she eyed him up and down in return.

"Hi, I don't have any money for my cab fare. Could you lend me seventy bucks so I can pay him? I just arrived in town and I will pay you back if you give me a job here."

"Ok, deal," she said, giving Ranger the money. She knew she was good at assessing people on the spot and he seemed OK. He walked outside to pay the cabbie and returned to the club.

"Thanks. So, what can I do here to help you?"

"I already have a bartender, but I could use another stripper who can dance. You can dance, right?"

"Yes, I can." He really had no idea, but he knew he could fake it if he had to.

"Great. If you dance half as good as you look, you'll do okay here. You can start tonight. What's your name?"

"Pardo. Marc Pardo."

"Ok, Marc Pardo. My name is Ariana," she said as she held out her hand. He shook her hand and then pulled it up to his lips and kissed it. She was a bit surprised but pleased at the same time. "Get ready to strut your stuff tonight, Tiger. First show starts at 9pm. The dressing room is behind the stage and there should be something there you can wear as a costume onstage."

"I'm new in town and as I told you before I don't have any money. Do you know where I can stay?"

"I have a two-bedroom apartment upstairs. My brother used to live here with me and he was a dancer here."

"What happened?"

"He was murdered a couple of weeks ago. He got shot in the chest and died in the hospital. No one knows who did it." He could tell that Ariana and her brother had been close and that it was still a fresh, open wound on her heart.

"Sorry to hear that," said Ranger.

"Thanks," she said, wiping a tear off of her face. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to center herself. "Anyway, I was trying to find a replacement dancer and so now it looks like I have. You better be good."

"I'll knock your socks off."

"Great, can't wait. Meantime, let me show you around and take you up to the apartment. My brother was about your size so you'll find his clothes up there, if you need any. You are welcome to them. Once you are settled in, come back down. I could use a hand sweeping this floor."

A few hours later, Steph woke up to see a handsome man standing next to her bed. He was running his fingers along her cheek, gently waking her. He wore white pants, a black shirt and a matching white blazer. He had mocha latte skin and his short dark hair was slicked back. His striking amber eyes were mesmerizing.

"Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me? My name is Miguel Garcia. I am Carlos Manoso's cousin."

"Who is Carlos Manoso?"

"You don't know Carlos Manoso?"

"No, who is he? Look, I'm sorry but I don't even remember who I am. The doctor says my name is Stephanie Plum and that I have traumatic amnesia. I was in a car accident. People keep coming in and out of my room and I don't recognize ANY of them," she confessed, tears of frustration gathering in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," he said, as he patted her hand in commiseration. "Well, perhaps I can bring back your memory for you. I live in a big mansion with an indoor pool, a spa, and a movie theater. You and Carlos used to visit my home, then you guys stopped coming."

"Why did we stop coming?"

"I don't know. Maybe because of the work I do."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a gigolo. Rich women pay me for..."

"Yeah, I get it. So where is this Carlos if we were together?"

"You broke up. You guys would fight constantly about things until you broke it off."

"Then why were we in a car together? Did we get into another fight and that's what caused the accident?"

"I really don't know. Possibly. I mean, I wasn't with you, but that sounds likely. The nurse said that you will be released in a couple of days. So, how about I pick you up then and I can take you to my place. See if anything sparks a memory. What do you think?"

"I think it's wonderful."

"Great, see you in a couple days." ' _That was too easy_ ,' smirked Marcus Garcia as he left Stephanie's room. ' _I haveven fooled Manoso's guards._ '

 _ **Chapter 3**_

Ranger put on black Sexy Men's Wet Look Side Mesh Shorts then he put on military camouflage pants, which hung loosely on his hips, showing off the mesh sides of his black undershorts. He also put on a shoulder holster on his bare chest and tied his hair back.

"You look fantastic," said Ariana, looking him up and down and mentally drooling.

"Thanks. This outfit is the first thing I noticed that I thought it would go work nicely on me." Ranger donned the sleeveless camo shirt that showed off his muscular arms and left it unbuttoned. He felt very comfortable wearing the military garb. He wondered if he had done this stripping gig before.

"It does and it's very sexy," she said, looking into his eyes. "You're up third, Tiger. Knock 'em dead out there." Ariana walked out front on the stage and looked over her fairly full audience. Her club attracted a good-sized crowd most nights, as there were very few clubs catering to women. Her place was clean and her beefcake was some of the best!

"Ladies! Are you ready for some man flesh tonight?" Ariana asked as the women cheered.

"First up, get ready to be handcuffed by Carl the Cop!"

Ranger watched from backstage. Carl didn't do a bad job. He was actually pretty good. A few minutes later, his act was done.

"Next up, get your fire hoses and get ready for Freddie the Fireman!"

"Are you ready, Tiger? You're up next."

"Yes, I am."

"Next up is a newcomer and boy, he is hot. Get your guns ready and help me welcome Marc the Military Man!"

Ranger turned around and danced for the crowd. He knew he had to be careful of his broken ribs, but the moves he had planned should disguise that well. He still had large bruises on his torso, which went with the military image. And he didn't have to do anything to hide the black cast on his forearm. He was glad this job didn't involve much heavy lifting so that he could heal quickly. Ranger brought his attention back to the crowd in front of him and started to work his innate Manoso Magic. He took off his camo jacket and threw it to the crowd as they cheered him on. Then he slid off his pants and the women screamed loudly, getting their first view of his impressive package outlined in the stretched-tight shorts. He took took off his hair tie, shaking out his straight, shoulder-length, nearly black locks and the women went wild. The music stopped and he waved and gave them his 200-watt smile. He kept nodding his head in acknowledgement, mouthing, 'Thank you' to the crowd. The cheers, whistles and applause seemed endless. Finally, he collected all the money they tossed up on the stage while he danced and picked up his stage outfit that the women had kindly folded and placed there for him.

"Hey man, not bad for your first time," said Carl and Freddie nodding in agreement.

"Thanks."

"Hey, Tiger! You did an excellent job out there. I never heard screams so loud before. You certainly impressed me," Ariana said, kissing him. The kiss felt very sensual, but Ranger couldn't deepen the kiss even if he wanted to because his hands were full. Suddenly, he saw a vision of himself kissing a woman with long, curly, brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Ariana quickly pulled back.

"I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened. Excuse me," said Ariana leaving quickly. The crowd thinned out a few hours later. Ranger helped Ariana clean up.

"Thank you for helping me."

"Welcome. Hey, about that kiss..."

"It was my fault, Marc, forget it. It was unprofessional. Won't happen again," she said as she continued cleaning. Half an hour later, everything was cleaned up.

"I'm going to lock up. Go ahead to bed. Tomorrow afternoon we go to Atlantic City, New Jersey for a show. So rest up."

"Will do," said Ranger walking toward the stairs. He watched her put away supplies as he went up to bed._

Couple days later, the nurse checked Steph's chart and left. Minutes later, Miguel walked in. Steph smiled as he walked up beside the bed.

"Hi, how are you feeling?"

"I'm not in as much pain as I was a couple of days ago. And they've unhooked me from all those noisy machines. I'm now using crutches to get around, and that works fine. Thank God!"

"Good. Are you ready to leave this place?"

"Yes, I am. I hate hospitals." 'Wow! Where did that come from?' she thought.

Miguel had brought her some clothes and let her change in private. Miguel told her to put on the robe that he brought. When she was ready, Miguel helped her into the wheelchair, placing the crutches next to her and wheeling her out of the room. Nobody seemed to notice. The guards had been told that she was going to get some fresh outside air. When they reached the front door, a black limo was waiting. Miguel helped her in, tucking the crutches inside and got in himself. As the limo drove out of the hospital parking lot, Tank drove in. He quickly went in the hospital and into the elevator. When he reached her room, a nurse walked out.

"She's not in there. Someone wheeled her out to get some fresh air."

"How long ago and who was the person?"

"I don't know. He had mocha colored skin, dark, slicked-back hair and wearing a black suit. She's been gone for ten minutes."

Tank went in the room and found the hospital gown laying on the bed.

"She didn't go out for air, she left with the guy."

"Oh my," the nurse said putting her hand on her chest.

'Ranger's missing, Stephanie is now too.' Tank thought. He went downstairs to security.

"Have you seen this man and this woman?" Tank asked the security guard as Tank showed him a picture of Ranger and Steph on his phone.

"Yeah, I did."

"You didn't happen to see where they went off to?"

"No, he got into a cab a couple days ago. I saw her get into a limo with a guy in a black suit twenty minutes ago."

"Do you have a video so I can see what cab he got into and the guy the woman was with?"

The security guard first reviewed the tapes and found the name of the company on the cab, Trenton Star Cab Company. Then the man found the tape where Steph got in the limo. It only showed the man's back.

"Thank you," said Tank leaving.

When Tank arrived at the cab company, he entered the reception area and asked for the Boss. Two minutes later, a big, burly man with no hair came walking in.

"Hi, I want to ask you who drives this cab?" Tank asked showing the picture to the man on his phone.

"Why are you asking?"

"My name is Tank and I work for Rangeman. I'm a bounty hunter and the man that got in this cab is a friend of mine."

"David Lyons is the driver. He should be here this afternoon. I'll have him give you a call when he gets in."

"Thank you very much."

Tank drove back to Rangeman and waited for for David to call. Tank checked the fax. Tons of sheets on skips. He quickly browsed through them and one caught his eye. Miguel Garcia, drug lord and many other illegal activities. He had slick black hair, mocha latte colored skin. This man matched the description the nurse gave who took Steph.

"Lester, Bobby!" called Tank, walking out of his office and meeting the guys in the hallway.

"What is it?" asked Bobby.

"This is the guy Steph left with. He is a big drug lord among and many other things. We need to get him."

"Ok, we'll gear up and get ready to go to Manhattan," said Lester. _

Steph couldn't believe her eyes when they reached the mansion. The driver opened the door for her as Miguel helped her out of the car. He handed her the crutches and she worked her way to the entrance. It was huge. When she made her way into the entrance hall, she spied a double staircase. The floor was white marble with an inlaid medallion, which Steph thought was cool. On the left side of the hall, there was a piano room and on the right side of the hall, was the library. She followed Miguel downstairs to the indoor swimming pool with a waterfall. She saw a hot tub on the other end of the pool. The spectacular indoor oasis incorporated Mayan-ruin replicas and was illuminated by natural daylight from a glass ceiling supported by massive wood beams, complete with palm trees and tiki torches. She felt like she was in Hawaii. She even noticed a stone carved face and lost lots of designs on the stone walls.

Miguel then led her down the hall from the pool to the theater. It looked like you were going into an actual movie theater. There was a ticket kiosk, theater doors and a lobby. It also had posters of Jaws, Star Wars and other iconic movies. Inside, there were plush theater seats, gilded Corinthian columns and wall sconces. The home theater's design made Steph feel like she was in the early 20th century. Next door was the diner, with 1950's-era glass tile, neon and mid-century sleek styling. She walked inside and saw Formica tables, red leather booths and a soda-fountain serving counter. The floor was high-gloss black and white checkered tiles.

"This is a really cool place, Miguel. Too bad I don't remember it."

"I'm glad you like it. It will probably all come back to you in no time. You look like you could use a rest. Let's go upstairs and I will show you your room."

He carried her up the stairs and stopped at the door and the end of the hall. He walked in and put her down on the bed. The floors were hardwood. The bed was a queen with a purple comforter. Next to the brick fireplace was and a picture window with a navy blue curtains.

"Thank you for the lovely tour. This room is very nice."

"Thanks, I decorated it myself. Now I must go and let you rest. Bye now," said Miguel leaving the room and closing the door.

Steph got up to go see the bathroom. There were double sinks, a walk-in glass shower with stone walls and a small tub. She looked in the drawers and found a nightgown. She lifted the covers, got in, left her casted leg atop them. Once she laid her head on the pillows, she fell asleep.

 _ **Chapter 4**_

Ranger woke up just after noon the next day. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He got up to take a shower. When he was done, he opened the curtain just as the door opened. Ariana walked in and stared at Ranger's nakedness.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly leaving. He dried himself off and went to his room to put on some clothes. Ranger walked in the kitchen where he saw Ariana was making coffee.

"I guess I have to be more careful now when I walk in the bathroom. I forgot I had company. Coffee is ready. Cream and sugar are on the counter," she said walking to the table and reading the paper.

"No worries. I take it black, besides all that cream and sugar isn't good for you."

"I'll die happy then."

"Do you have any bagel and lox?"

"No I don't, but I do have cereal in the cupboard."

Ranger looked in the fridge and found eggs.

"What are you making?"

"Eggs. Full of protein and better for you."

"I have eggs in there? So, when did you become such a health nut?"

"Since the Army."

"When were you in the Army?"

"Years ago, I guess."

Eight minutes later, Ranger took two plates and placed one in front of Ariana.

"Eat up."

Ariana ate a piece of egg.

"This is very good. How did you become such a good cook?"

"I don't know. Probably in the Army. So when are we leaving?"

"Half an hour. The guys are meeting us there. They want to do some gambling afterwards."

They headed out half an hour later. The ride took two hours and fifteen minutes. Ariana got things ready for tonight's show._

While Tank, Lester and Bobby made their way out of the garage, Tank's phone rang.

It was David Lyons and he was calling from the cab company. Tank would be there in five minutes.

"Thank you for seeing me. Where did you take this man the early yesterday morning?" Tank said, showing the picture of Ranger to David.

"I took him to Manhattan. He didn't give me any trouble. Quiet all the way there."

"Where did you drop him off?"

"In front of a strip club called Savage Men. They were closed, so he stayed there until it opened. He didn't have any money, so he had to go inside and ask for it. He was also wearing scrubs."

"Thank you," said Tank leaving and getting in the truck.

"We're going to Manhattan. Ranger is there and so is Stephanie. Hopefully we will find both of them," Tank said, as they drove to New York.

Steph woke up at noon. The place looked unfamiliar and then she remembered. 'Good thing my short term memory isn't shot!' Steph thought. She got up to go to the bathroom and carefully made her way downstairs. She found the maid in the kitchen.

"Hello."

"Hello. Good afternoon."

"It's the afternoon?"

"Yes."

"Wow. I can't remember if I ever slept that long. I take it I missed breakfast."

"That's ok. I can make you whatever you like. So, what would you like?"

"What do you have?"

"We have eggs, oatmeal, pancakes..."

"Pancakes sound good. Do you have chocolate chips?"

"Chocolate chips?"

"Yeah. I don't know where that came from."

"Hmm, I'm sure I don't know either. So would you like pancakes?"

"Yes, I would. I'm sorry, what is your name?"

"Esmerelda. I go by Esme. You go by my whole name, we're not friends. You call me Esme, we're friends."

"Got it. I'm Stephanie by the way."

"Yes. So, what happened to you?" asked Esme as she got the stove ready.

"The doctor said I was in some kind of car accident and hit my head hard. It wiped out my memory. So, where is Miguel?"

"Had to go out. Should be back later."

A few minutes later, Steph's pancakes were ready. She put lots of syrup on them and dug in. She moaned.

"This is so good."

"I never heard a person moan when eating their food."

"Apparently I'm the first."

Ten minutes later, her plate was clean.

Feel better?"

"Much. I'm going to go take a shower."

"Here. Miguel gave this to me. It's a wrap for your ankle. You can't get your cast wet."

"Great, thanks."

While Steph was upstairs, the doorbell rang. Esme answered it.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"We're looking for Miguel Garcia. Is he in?" asked Tank.

"No, he isn't. He won't be back till later."

"Ok, thanks," said Tank, as he turned around and headed back to the SUV where Bobby and Lester waited.

"Where to now?" asked Lester.

"Savage Men."

Ranger put on the same outfit as last night and he did the same routine. Again, the crowd was loud and wild. When his act was done, he went to the dressing room. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He heard arguing, so he kicked the door open. What he saw made his blood run cold. A guy with long, dark hair had his hand around Ariana's throat.

"Let go of her!"

"Get out! This is no concern of yours."

"Actually, it is."

The guy let go of her as Ranger was preparing to get into fight mode. The guy got close enough so Ranger could get in the first punch. The guy pulled out a switchblade and tried to cut Ranger. Ranger did a 'come hither' with his hands. The guy charged at him with the knife and Ranger kicked the knife out of his hands and got a hold of his arm and twisted it behind the guy's back, shoving it upward.

"Now, you tell this nice young lady you're sorry."

"Eat shit!"

"Say you're sorry or I'm going to break your arm," Ranger said, tightening his hold on the guy's arm.

"Sorry."

"Get security," Ranger said to Ariana.

Ariana ran out of the room while Ranger kept a tight hold on the guy's arm. The cops arrived a few minutes later and the guy was taken away.

"Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine."

"Who was that guy?"

"My ex-boyfriend. He kept asking me where the money is. I don't know anything about where any money is. He wouldn't tell me what money. Asshole."

"Excuse me ma'am, but we need you both to make a statement."

She was gone for an hour and then rejoined Ranger, whose own statement took less time.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes, fine."

"I think we should find a hotel tonight. It's too late to be driving," said Ranger.

 _ **Chapter 5**_

They checked into the Tropicana Casino & Resort Hotel. Ranger chose the Chelsea Tower Penthouse floor to get away from everyone. Ranger closed the curtains.

"How did you learn to fight like that? The way you grabbed his arm. From the Army right?"

"Yeah, I guess. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm good and you don't seem fine," Ranger said taking her in his arms. "You're trembling."

"I guess that scared me some," she said as Ranger as held her tight. "Thanks, I feel better," she said looking up at him.

"Do you?" Ranger asked, looking into her eyes. He lowered his head to kiss her. He deepened the kiss as he put his arms around her. She put her arms around his neck. He put his hand underneath her shirt and caressed her back. She pulled back and took off her shirt. She took off his shirt and ran her hands down his muscled chest down to his abs and stopped at the button on his pants. She unbuttoned his pants and unzipped the fly and his pants fell to the floor. She noticed his 'soldier' standing at attention. She caressed it as she stared at Carlos. She kissed him again and he carried her to the bedroom. He put her down and he laid down on the bed as she took off the rest of her clothes and joined there. She got on top of him. He noticed her breasts were toned and firm. She eased him into herself and leaned forward with her hands on both sides of his head, looking at him as she adjusted to his size. He caressed her breasts and they felt warm and smooth. Her breasts weren't huge, just the right size for his hands. She kissed him deeply as she began to move slowly. She ran her fingers through his hair as he caressed her back and ass. She sat up as she stroked his smooth, muscled chest. She rode him and softly moaned. Ranger kept his eyes closed as he was starting to feel the sensation coming.

"You make me feel so good. Open your eyes so we can watch each other come," Ariana said looking at him.

Ranger opened his eyes as Ariana was watching him. She smiled and shouted, "Marc!" as she climaxed.

For some reason, that name didn't sit well with him. And he noticed that her eyes weren't blue. Did he want her to have blue eyes? He saw a flash of a woman with blue eyes. They were having sex. And just like that, he was no longer excited, but he knew Ariana had no clue that he hadn't come.

She collapsed on top of him and then lay beside him. She put her hand on his chest and caressed it. He looked at her and she was already asleep. Something didn't feel right. He got up and put on his pants and looked out the window. He felt that someone was out there looking for him. He wondered who this woman was he saw. He saw her very clearly. He also wondered if she was real or not._

Stephanie carefully got out of the shower and dried herself off. She opened the door and was about to hop on one foot into her room when she saw Miguel sitting on her bed.

"Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me you were in here!?" Steph said, quickly closing the bathroom door again.

"I didn't think you would walk out naked. Sorry I should have said something. Get dressed and come on out. I have something I have to tell you."

Steph found a robe and put it on.

"I'm really sorry. Next time I will let you know I'm in the room."

"It's ok. I'll let it slide this time. What's up?"

"I have a cabin in the Catskill Mountains. It's quieter up there."

"Ok, when do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready."

"Just let me get dressed and we'll go. What about clothes?"

"Already there."

The next morning, Ranger rang for room service and fifteen minutes later, it was brought up. Ranger pushed the tray in front of the bar and put two plates on it as Ariana woke up.

"Morning," said Ariana, sitting up."

"Morning," greeted Ranger, setting everything for their breakfast out on the bar.

"You got room service. How sweet of you," she said, putting on a white robe that was lying on the bed.

"What time did you get up? We had a pretty busy night. You think you would've slept in," she said, kissing him. She wanted to kiss his lips, but he turned slightly so that she got his cheek instead.

"I was exercising. Two hundred crunches and two hundred push ups."

"Wow! Fifty crunches for me and pass on the push ups," she said as she took a seat.

"I usually do a five-mile jog, but I didn't want to leave the room. So I exercised in here."

She opened the lid to find eggs and toast.

"You must want me to really eat healthy."

"All that junk food will kill you," Ranger said as he put lox and fat-free cream cheese on his bagel.

They ate in silence. After she finished, she took a quick shower and made their way back to New York. When Ariana opened the door and walked into the club, she saw that the place was a mess. Chairs and tables were overturned, broken bottles everywhere. Ariana was totally stunned at what she saw in front of her.

"Who would do this?" asked Ranger.

"I don't know. I'm going to check the apartment," she said, running up the steps, Ranger following close behind. When she entered her apartment, it was also a mess.

"I'm calling the police."

Ten minutes later, the police were looking everywhere for clues. Forensics took prints in the club and her apartment.

"Do you know who did this?" Officer Jensen asked.

"No, I don't. I do have an ex-boyfriend who can be nasty, but he couldn't have done this. He was in Atlantic City last night. I know this because I was there, too He attacked me in the dressing room. Thank God Marc here came to my rescue. Marc kicked the door open and found me in a chokehold. Jace, that's my ex-boyfriend's name, told Marc to get out and that it wasn't his concern and Marc said it was now. So Jace pulled out a switchblade and lunged at him. and Marc disarmed him then twisted his arm behind his back and held him until the AC police came and arrested Jace."

"Why did he attack you?"

"He thinks I have the money, which I don't. I don't know what he's talking about."

Officer Jensen asked a few more questions and left.

"What are you going to do? Stay here or go somewhere else?"

"I'm going to stay here. I'm not going to let something like this scare me."

"Proud of you, Babe."

"Do you call all your girlfriends Babe?"

"No. It was something that slipped out. I don't know where that came from."

"Well, I like it," she said, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him. "Come on, help me. We can get this cleaned up before tonight. You take the tables and I'll clean up all the bottles," she said walking to the broom closet. When they were done a few hours later, Ariana put the new bottles of liquor on the shelves. Everything looked perfect again. Then they went upstairs to clean her apartment. She cleaned the kitchen while Ranger cleaned the living room. Some dishes and glasses were broken. Stuff in drawers were scattered everywhere. The beds in the bedrooms were overturned and there were clothes everywhere. Ariana vacuumed the rooms and everything looked wonderful again. She was ready to open for tonight's show.

"Are you sure you want to open tonight?"

"Yes. Like I said before. I'm not going to let something like this scare me," she said walking down the stairs. Ranger thought she shouldn't, but it's her club, her decision.

 _ **Chapter 6**_

It was night by the time they got to the cabin. It was dark and she couldn't see anything.

"Don't worry, the lights should go on."

A few seconds later, they did. Steph was in awe. She saw the most beautiful two story luxury cabin house. Miguel got her wheelchair and helped her into it. He wheeled her to the covered porch, up the steps and opened the front door. The place almost looked like the house in Manhattan. Double staircase, except this one had a balcony. He rolled her to the living room. She noticed a huge picture window. A big u shaped brown leather sofa with lamps on both ends. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling above the sofa. A stone fireplace stood in front of the sofa with a fifty inch TV above. Next was the kitchen. Hardwood flooring, a small bar stood in the center with three stools. The counter were black marble with stainless steel fridge and cherry wood cabinets. He wheeled her out of the kitchen towards the stairway. He carried her up the stairs to her room. He opened the door and put her on the bed. The bed was queen with a blue comforter. A small chandelier hung above the bed. Another picture window was hung with maroon curtains.

"This is a nice place. Do you bring your women here?"

"I do sometimes yes, but I won't have any women here, just you. Don't worry, I'm not going to bed you. I'm here to keep you safe and relaxed while you heal. It's been another long day and you look tired. So why don't you rest up. I'll see you in the morning. Have a good night."

"Night," said Steph.

She went to the drawer and found a maroon nightgown. She went to the bathroom and it was the same as the other house. She changed into her nightgown and got into bed. She fell right to sleep as her head hit the pillow.

During the night, Steph woke up to shouting. She hobbled over and put her ear to the wall.

"What do you mean you couldn't find the money? It should've been in that apartment of his. You figure out a way to find that money or I will kill you."

Then everything was quiet. Steph limped back to bed and tried to get back to sleep. The way Miguel talked kind of made her feel uneasy. She got up and went to the window. She loved the way the moon shown on the water. For some reason, this place didn't feel like home. It's like something or someone important was missing in her life. She wondered if he would ever regain all the memories that she had lost.

Ranger got up at eleven. He went to the kitchen to make himself coffee. Ariana was at the table reading the paper.

"Morning," she said."

"Morning," he replied taking a cup out. He poured coffee in the cup and joined Ariana at the table.

"No eggs or bagel?"

"Not hungry for some reason. That doesn't happen very often to me."

"Hmm, maybe it's the change of your routine. Going to bed late, getting up late."

"Maybe. So, how did you sleep last night?"

"I slept ok. I would really like to know who trashed this place. Hopefully the police will find whoever did it."

"I'm sure they will try," Ranger said when he heard a buzzer. Ariana went downstairs and opened the front door.

"Hi, may I help you?" she asked the large black man in front of her.

"My name is Tank and I am a bounty hunter and I am looking for this guy," Tank said showing Ariana a picture of Ranger on his phone. Her eyes widened as she reponded.

"Sorry. He doesn't look familiar. What has he done?"

"That doesn't matter. A cab driver dropped him off a couple days ago here."

"I have not seen him."

"I also want to show you another picture. Have you seen this woman?"

"No I haven't. What has she done?"

"Murder and much more. Her name is Alex Casey and she's very dangerous. Here is my card. Call me if you do see either of them."

"I will do that," said Ariana shutting the door.

"Who was that?" Ranger asked coming down the stairs.

"A bounty hunter. Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, I don't think so. What did this guy look like?"

"Black, bald, big a like the size of a tank. In fact, that was his name."

Just then Ranger had a flash that he was sparring with a guy that was bald and big. He put his hand in front of his face.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah I am. Just getting a little headache. I'm going to take a nap," Ranger said as Ariana watched him walk back up the stairs.

"So, Ranger isn't here, so where is he?" asked Lester.

"Not sure. For some reason I don't believe her. I would swear she recognized him and is protecting him. We'll come back later. Let's go back to the mansion and see if Garcia is home," Tank said starting the truck.

The next day. Steph woke up at 11:30. She sat up and her stomach rumbled. She was about to get up when the door opened. Miguel brought in a tray full of food. It had eggs, toast and coffee.

"Wow. Breakfast in bed."

"You deserve it."

"This all looks good, but do you have any donuts? Krispy Cremes?"

"No I don't. I eat healthy stuff, no junk food. Besides, all that junk food will kill you."

Steph had her fork halfway to her mouth when she froze.

"Is something wrong?"

"For some reason that line is so familiar. I heard it somewhere, but I don't remember where. This memory loss thing is so frustrating."

"Maybe it was on TV."

"Yeah, maybe." Stephanie's fork continued its journey into her mouth.

"It's a beautiful day. Why don't we go on a hike? There is a paved trail that goes around the lake. I'll push your wheelchair. It would be too much on your crutches. What do you think?"

"I think that sounds wonderful."

"Great. You finish your breakfast and shower and we'll go on our trail walk," said Miguel walking to the door.

"Wait. I heard you on the phone last night. Sounded like you were pretty angry. Who were you talking to?"

"Sorry I was talking so loud. It was just some guy I was talking to. This woman's brother owes me money. She didn't pay me that night and she said she would have the money the next day and I never got it. Sorry about that."

"It's ok."

"Finish up."

An hour an a half later, she and Miguel took their stroll around the lake. They stopped a few times to admire the beauty of the lake. He showed her how to throw rocks and make them skip across the lake. Ducks were swimming and catching fish. By the time they made it back to the beginning, it was lunch time. They sat at a picnic table on the deck. Miguel brought out the light sandwiches he had prepared earlier and ate.

"This is such a beautiful place. How can you leave this place when you have to go back to the city?"

"It's not easy. Maybe I will find that special someone and live here permanently."

After lunch, they played several board and card games. By nightfall, they ate supper. By eight thirty, Stephanie was dozing off. Miguel carried her up the stairs and sat her on the bed. He took out her nightgown and laid it beside her. He turned around and closed the drawer and straightened everything on top of the bureau.

"I guess all that fresh air has made me sleepy," said Steph taking off her top.

"Yeah, the air can do that. Well, you have a good night..."

"Don't leave, stay here," she said grabbing his hand.

He turned around to find her naked. To say he was shocked was an understatement. Not that he didn't appreciate her beautiful form. She was stunning fully dressed. But this...Having seen her naked accidently once before was fuel for his fantasies. But this was no accident. He was unsure what this meant.

"Stephanie, why are you naked?"

"I want you to make love to me, Miguel, " she said sitting him down beside her. Steph unbuttoned his shirt. He put his hand on top of hers to stop her. She looked up at him, puzzled.

"Are you sure?" he asked, searching his face.

"Yes I am."

She unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and found him very muscular with six pack abs. He stood up to make it easier to take off his pants. She kissed his stomach and unbuttoned his pants. She slid them down and his member was released, swollen, letting her know how affected he was. She wrapped her hand around it, kissed it. Then licked his slit and all around the head before taking him fully into her mouth. He gasped and closed his eyes, caressing her hair as she began to suck on him. Miguel was going to lose his control too soon, so he pulled out of her mouth, picked her up and laid her down on the bed. He moved over her being careful of her ankle. One arm supported his weight while the other hand reached down into her folds. He felt how wet she was, as he quickly vibrated her clit. She moaned sweetly as he began to build up her need. He eased himself inside her and slowly started to move. He was amazed at how tightly she fit, but he was staggered at how right this felt. Lightning lit up the room and thunder boomed. She stroked his back as he kissed her neck down to her chest. He caressed her soft and smooth breasts while he sucked on them. She felt so warm and wet. He sat up and brought her up with him, never breaking contact. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he supported her with his hands under her nether cheeks as they continued to move. Lightning continued to flash as the thunder got louder. They both made soft moans as they were feeling the pressure tighten within.

"Stephanie."

"What?"

"Open your eyes and look at me."

She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"You are so beautiful. You feel so good. No one has made me feel like this," said Miguel as the lightning flashed and the thunder reverberated throughout the rustic mansion. When the lightning flashed again and she saw something familiar in her mind. She closed her eyes and saw that she was in bed with another man. He had the same mocha latte skin, but he had long hair and had a big smile on his face.

"Ranger," she whispered. Then they both cried out as they crashed over the edge of pleasure together. Miguel laid them down and kept their arms around each other. He looked over at her and she was already asleep,

"It sure is crowded tonight. I never had this many women here before."

"Word of mouth. This is a happening place."

Ranger was looking around the room when Ariana took a hold of his hand.

"Marc. Do you love me?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"Cause I feel good around you. It feels good sleeping next to someone. Very comforting. I love you," she said looking into his eyes.

Ranger said nothing and Ariana dropped his hand and went up onto the stage to announce the next dancer. After that, Ariana went upstairs, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She was falling in love with Marc. When she entered the apartment, she heard a noise. She walked to her room where she saw a blonde woman sitting on her bed with the gun aimed at Ariana. She recognized her from the picture Tank showed her.

"I know who you are. You're Alex Casey."

"So glad you know who I am. You need to come with me."

"Where am I going?"

"To go see a friend, let's go."

"I have to go tell someone I'm leaving."

"No! You're not going to tell anyone!"

"Hey Marc. Where did Ariana go?"

"The last time I saw her she went backstage. I don't know where she went after that. I'll check her apartment. When Ranger entered the apartment, he saw a woman with a gun and she had it aimed at Ariana.

"What the hell's going on here?"

"She's coming with me. We have some business to attend to."

"What business? Who the hell are you?"

"None of your business. Now let's go."

"She's not going anywhere!"

"You back off or I will shoot you!" said Alex aiming the gun at Ranger. "It's also nice to see you again," said Alex pushing Ariana toward the back door of the apartment to go down the fire escape.

"No, you're not taking her!" Ranger said, following them and grabbing Alex's shoulder. Alex shot Ranger in the shoulder and he fell to the floor.

"Marc!" Call Tank!" Tell him Alex Casey was here." Ariana shouted as Alex pushed her out the door. Ranger got up as Mike, the bartender, ran in the front door of the apartment.

"I heard a gunshot. What happened up here!"

"Call the police! Ariana has been kidnapped," said Ranger getting a towel from the bathroom. He stuffed the towel in his shirt, keeping pressure on it to staunch the flow of blood. He entered the kitchen and found a glossy black business card on the table. He picked it up and it read, 'Rangeman' in gold lettering. He picked up the house phone and dialed the number. Someone answered on the second ring.

"Hello."

"Is this Tank?"

"Speaking."

"I believe you came into Savage Men earlier today and asked Ariana about an Alex Casey."

"Yes I did. Who is this?"

"This is Marc Pardo here at Savage Men and I'm a friend of hers. Alex showed up here at her apartment and kidnapped Ariana."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No and I didn't follow her or see where she went. She shot me in the shoulder."

"Ok, I'll be there in ten minutes. Sit tight. "

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the club. Cops were outside as well as inside, taking statements from customers and staff.

"Excuse me, could you please tell me where Marc Pardo is?" Tank asked.

"He's right over there at the bar," an officer replied as he pointed with his pen.

'Marc' was sitting on a stool with his back to them, still keeping pressure on his wound.

"Marc Pardo?"

He turned around and saw a big black, bald man with an qaually big smile.

"Yes, you Tank?" Ranger asked, wondering what the hell this huge man thought wa sso amusing.

"I am. I have been looking all over for you. I came here earlier asking if you were here and the girl that I showed your picture to said no, she didn't know you. You may not remember me, but I sure as hell know you. I know everything about you. As for Marc Pardo, I created him for you."

Ranger looked confused, especially Tank showed him a picture of himself on Tank's phone. He flipped to the next photo, which was Alex Casey.

"Yes, that was the woman who took Ariana. Why are you looking for her? And what would she want with Ariana?"

"I will explain what we know so far while Bobby takes a look at your shoulder. He's a medic." Bobby stepped up, grinning because they had found their leader and friend. He set his medical backpack up on the bar, opening it to remove the supplies he would need.

"You go by the name Ranger," Tank continued, as Bobby checked over his wound.

He looked even more confused.

"You got the name Ranger when you were in the Army Rangers because you were the best. It stuck and you kept it as a street name. Your real name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. You are a bounty hunter and run a security company called Rangeman in Trenton, New Jersey. I work for you, as your Second in Command. These two grinning guys here work for you also."

"Bobby Brown. I am the company medic at Rangeman."

"Lester Santos. I am your pain-in-the-ass cousin."

"Ariana mentioned you cam by earlier today asking about me and the woman, Alex Casey. I would like to discuss more of this Rangeman with you guys later, but right now, we need to find Ariana."

"Agreed, Ranger, Les, would you run out to the SUV and grab the FTA on Alex Casey? Thanks," Tank said as Lester ran out to get it. "It has all of Alex Casey background info. We can look it over while Bobby fixes you up. As soon as the police are donw with you, we can head out to try some possible places, based on known associates and their property addresses. We'll also ask the cops if they or any of the businesses on this block have security cameras facing the back of Savage Men. Hopefully, we'll be able to find out what kind of vehicle they left in."

"Sounds like a good way to start," replied Ranger, as something about it seemed familiar, like he used to know this. _'Shit!_ he thought. _'I just wish I could remember my life!'_

 _ **Chapter 7**_

Miguel was looking at the ceiling and holding Stephanie when his phone rang. He sat up to answer it.

"Hello?"

"I have the bitch with me. What do you want me to do with her?"

"Call the boyfriend and tell him to bring the money. Call me later," said Miguel hanging up.

"Miguel, who was that?"

"Just my associate. I will be getting my money soon. Go back to sleep," Miguel said caressing her hair. He would kill this Ranger when he sees him. He heard her whisper Ranger when they were making love. He would have the pleasure of killing Stephanie also.

"Do you think Alex would take Ariana to a warehouse?" asked Tank.

"I'm not sure. When we were in Atlantic City, her ex-boyfriend, Jace, was in the dressing room. He was choking her and I took care of him. He told her she has money that he needs and she doesn't know about any money that he needs. The cops arrested him for assault and battery anyway."

"Alex didn't mention who they were meeting with?" asked Lester.

"No."

Just then his phone rang. Tank had given him his Rangeman cell.

"Hello."

"Hi, this is Jace. Who am I speaking to?"

"Ranger."

"Well, Ranger. I have Ariana here with me. I want you to bring five thousand dollars in two hours. Meet me at Fort Tilden beach in Queens. If I don't have it in two hours, she's dead."

"I would like to speak to her."

"Marc."

"Ariana, are you ok?"

"Yes I am. Please come..."

"Like I said, two hours," said Jace hanging up.

"What happened?" asked Tank.

"Apparently, Ariana's ex made bail. He has her with him, which means that Alex either works for him or they both work for someone else. Jace wants five thousand dollars in two hours at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens. What the hell is going on?" asked Ranger.

"I know what's going on," Mike said. "Jim, Ariana's brother, owes Jace money, 10 grand altogether, for some drugs that he bought. Jim was going to keep some drugs for for his own use and pay for it by selling the rest at street value. Jim only gave Jace five thousand and Jim would get five thousand later. Jace gave Jim 48 hours to get the rest. When the 48 hours deadline had passed, Jim didn't have it, so they killed him."

"How do you know all this?" asked Tank.

"I was watching where they couldn't see me. I dialed 911 as soon as Jim was shot, but by the time the police got here, they were long gone. They took Jim to the hospital but he died. The police haven't found the murderers. I know they will kill Ariana if we don't give them the rest of the money and I don't want her killed. I love her."

"Don't worry, we'll get it. I'm going to call Rangeman and ask one of the guys to get five thousand dollars and get here as fast as they can." said Ranger.

Tank smiled. Ranger was back.

Two hours was almost up and Mike was panicking.

"Where is this guy you work with? He should be here by now," Mike said.

"Don't worry, they'll be here." said Tank.

Just then, then Hal and Cal walked in the club.

"Thanks for coming. We need to get going, You stay here," Ranger said to Mike, taking the bag.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the beach. Alex and Jace were standing on either side of Ariana with their guns pointed at her. Tank, Bobby, Lester and Ranger got out of the truck.

"Drop the bag on the ground and open it," Jace demanded.

Ranger opened the bag and stood back.

"Good. Close the bag and back off. Get the bag and bring it back to me," Alex said to Ariana.

Ariana walked slowly to the bag knowing that the two guns were still pointed at her, picked it up and brought it back to Alex.

"Thank you," said Alex putting the bag inside the car. "Go ahead, you're free."

Ariana walked slowly to Ranger. Jace aimed his gun and shot Ariana in the back. Tank drew out his gun and tried to shoot Jace, but he got away, jumping into the getaway car. Lester shot Alex in the leg. She fell back against the car door and fell to the ground as Jace raced away from the scene. Tank appraoched Alex with his gun on her as he disarmed her, tossing her gun far from her reach. She had no other on her. Then Tank cuffed her hands behind her back and picked up the satchel of cash from the ground.

"Call 911!" Ranger shouted to Lester.

Les got on the phone as Ranger pulled his t-shirt off and used it to put pressure on Ariana's wound. Bobby noticed that the bullet went all the way through from her back so he pulled his shirt off and put pressure on the exit wound. A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived, the crew loaded up both women and rushed them to the hospital. When they got there, Ariana was taken into the OR right away.

Miguel was sleeping peacefully when his phone rang again.

"Hello."

"We have a problem sir."

"What is it this time?"

"Alex had the money and shot Ariana and then someone else shot Alex in the leg. She is in the hospital. What should I do?"

"Nothing. I have something to take care of myself," said Miguel looking at Stephanie.

Tank walked in the waiting room and found Ranger sitting in the chair with his hands on his head.

"Did you hear anything yet?"

"No I haven't."

"I'm sure she'll be ok."

"She lost a lot of blood."

"Who is the next of kin?" asked the doctor.

"I am her fiance," lied Ranger getting up. "How is she?"

"She has lost a lot of blood, but nothing vital was hit. The bullet went through. She should recover nicely."

"May I go see her?"

"Just down the hall to the left."

Ranger went in and noticed that Ariana was hooked up to a lot of wires. He walked up beside her bed and bent over.

"I'm so glad you didn't die."

Ariana stirred and opened her eyes. She looked at Ranger and smiled.

"Marc."

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better. Where was I hit?"

"Jace shot you in the back, but nothing important was hit. You're going to be fine."

They talked for a few minutes more and Ranger left the room.

"How is she?"

"Very groggy."

"You two seem close."

"Yeah, we became great friends."

"You mentioned fiance."

"I lied. I had to say that so I could see how she was. We're not engaged. That reminds me, I need to call Mike and let him know what happened. He'll want to be here with her." Ranger quickly called Mike who said he was on his way to the hospital.

"So tell me, how did you happen to come here to New York?"

Ranger told him everything, especially the part where he and Ariana went to the hotel in Atlantic City, stayed there and slept together.

"Wow. Steph won't like that."

"Who is this Stephanie?"

"She's your girlfriend. You two have been dating for two years," Tank said pulling out his phone and showing a picture of Stephanie to Ranger.

When she saw her picture, he had a vision of them walking and smiling at each other. The same woman he saw when Ariana and he were together in the hotel room.

"She is real," Ranger whispered.

"What?" asked Tank.

"I kept seeing her in a vision. I didn't know if she was real or not."

"She's quite real. Like I said, you two have been dating for two years. Before all this happened, you guy were going after a skip, Alex Casey. You two drove to the skip's house and the next thing I know, I get a call from the hospital saying that you two were in a near fatal car accident. You both suffered severe head trauma and had traumatic amnesia. Early the next morning, you disappeared to New York. What made you go there?"

Ranger told him the whole story.

"So where is Stephanie?"

"Don't know. Last time I saw she was getting in a limo with Miguel Garcia."

"Who is Miguel Garcia?"

"He is a drug lord." Tank said giving Ranger a bounty sheet. "He visited her and the nurse saw him wheel her out of her room. He said he was taking her out to get some fresh air. He put her in the limo."

"Do you know where she was taken?"

"The sheet says he lives in Manhattan, but when we got there, I asked the maid if he was there and she said he wasn't in. I don't know where they are. The maid didn't say."

Just then, a nurse yelled.

"Someone help me. I found this woman laying on the street, unconscious. She looks like was beaten but I don't what else yet."

Ranger and Tank went to see what the chaos was about. Two nurses had a woman on a gurney rushing her into an exam room. Ranger and Tank recognized her. It was Stephanie.

"Stephanie! What happened?" Ranger wondered aloud.

The ER nurses were cutting off her clothes to axamine her. One of them moved to stand in front of the men and pulled the curtain closed in their faces. They quickly assessed Steph's visible injuries, bruising and swelling on her face and in multiple other places with full imprints of heavy shoes starting to show up on her abdomen. This just happened. The nurses looked at each other and did a silent communication. Yes, they'd better perform a rape test kit as well. This poor woman already had a cast on one foot and loads of old healing bruises that looked to be only two or weeks old as it is. The scheduled her for an immediate CT scan especially of her abdomen where they will look for internal bleeding. Her blood pressure is lower that it should be and this might be the cause. If she's bleeding inside, she could easily crash on the operating table. They opened the curtain and quickly rushed her to the CT scanner while alerting one of the OR surgeons to scrub up. It was going to be a grueling shift but they were doing everything they could, as fast as they could, because they wanted the outcome for this young woman to be positive.

Meanwhile, Tank had Bobby get on the phone to the hospital in Trenton to fax over Steph's medical records, especially those from the car wreck. He had them include her Medical Power of Attorney form as well. Bobby alerted one of the ER nurses who had worked on Steph to the records transfer fax and gave her a quick synopsis of Steph's previous injuries and the subsequent traumatic amnesia she suffered. The nurse thanked Bobby and said she'd go right now to communicate that info to the OR surgeon who was working on Steph.

Tank also called Rangeman, giving them the good news that they found Ranger and Steph, but the bad news was that she was injured again, this time it looked like she was deliberately beaten and was unconscious and undergoing surgery for possible internal bleeding. He said he would keep them posted.

Now all they had to do was wait.

 _ **Chapter 8**_

Ranger and his men talked while they sat in the waiting room. It was two long hours before he heard his name called.

"Carlos Manoso?" the doctor spoke.

Ranger got up and walked to the doctor. Bobby, Lester and Tank stood right behind him.

"How is she?"

"Surgery went very well. I removed the spleen and there wwas no additional internal bleeding. She will recover fully."

"I would like to go see her."

"Sure. Just down the hall on the right."

When Ranger entered the room, his heart nearly stopped. She was hooked up with so many wires, He walked to the side of her bed. Ranger bent over and touched her bruised face softly

"I can't believe you're here, Babe. Even when I didn't know who I was, I had visions of you. I didn't know if you were real or not. Who did this to you?"

From her room across the hall, Ariana could see into in the other room as Ranger stood over the bed of some woman. She wondered what happened to her. The scene in the room nearly broke her heart. Clearly Ranger not only knew the woman, but he was madly in love with her. She saw all the love and affection radiating from him, everything he never gave Ariana, She got up and walked slowly to the room.

"What happened to her?"

Ranger looked up to see Ariana standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing up?"

"I need to take a walk. What happened to her?"

"A nurse was outside and she saw this black van stop and throw her out onto the sidewalk, unconscious She had been beaten up. She has a broken rib and her spleen was removed because it was damaged beyond repair and was the cause of her internal bleeding.

"What about the cast on her foot?"

She's had the for several weeks now. She and I were in a car wreck together."

"Wow. She looks like a strong person and should recover quickly."

"You probably don't remember what happened last night. Alex and Jace wanted to do a trade. I was to give them the 5 grand Jim owed them in exchange for you. When they released you and you were walking slowly back to us, Jace shot you in the back and Tank shot Alex in the leg. Jace left her there, jumped into the car and got away. An ambulance brought you and her here to the doctor said you'd be ok; nothing vital was hit."

"This is Stephanie. She's been missing, too. A nurse was outside the ER and a black van drove up and someone threw her out of the van, unconscious. She is my girlfriend and the love of my life. We have been together for two years. My name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. I go by Ranger and I am a bounty hunter and own a security company in Trenton, New Jersey. Stephanie is also a bounty hunter. Before all this happened, she and I were looking for a skip Alex Casey. She's wanted for murder and a whole lot of other things. We went to her house and told her who we were. She got away from us, made it to the car and quickly drove away. We followed her onto the highway and we drove side by side. She hit my car a couple times. Then she hit my car really hard, shoving us off the road and made my car flip and roll over and over. We had severe head trauma which caused traumatic amnesia. Neither of us had any memory about who we were or anything. I left the hospital the next morning because I felt my life was in danger if I stayed there any longer. I had no idea why I was in danger but I hailed a cab and ended up here. I did not know who I was. All I wanted to do was get out of that hospital and somehow New York popped into my head. I don't know what brought me to Savage Men to be a stripper, but it was an experience."

"Yeah. You did very well for your first time, Tiger. You really impressed the crowd. Are you sure you want to go back to your job as a bounty hunter? I need a dancer."

"Yes, I need to get back to my company and I'm sure you will find another one."

"It didn't hurt to ask. It sure was nice knowing you Ranger. You know, the night I was taken by Alex. I told you how I felt about you, somehow I knew there was someone else involved in your life. I could feel it."

"Yeah I could too. The night we were together in the hotel room and we were making love, I had a vision of her. Of course I didn't know if she was real or not. I didn't want to hurt you like this."

"It did hurt some, but I have someone else in my life. I feel like Mike is the one for me. He kept asking me to go out with him in the past and I kept telling him no and now I finally said yes. Are you going to tell her about us?"

"I'm going to have to. It's not good keeping secrets from each other. That's not how love works."

"So, what happened to Alex and Jace?"

Alex was here and had surgery on her leg was taken back to New Jersey for a hearing. She and Jace killed your brother, didn't they?"

"How did you know?"

"Mike told me in the club."

"Yeah. I had detectives and the whole lot looking for them, but no one could find them. I just don't understand it. Jim would never get involved with drugs. He didn't seem the type.

"People change. Jace and Miguel Garcia are still out there."

"Who is Miguel Garcia?"

"Jace and Alex work for him. He is a big drug lord. I have a feeling he did this to her. That's who Jim owed money to."

"I still can't believe Jim got involved in that. So, how did you get the name Marc?"

"It's best if you forgot you ever heard that name. I really can't tell anymore about that. If I tell you and it gets out, your life could be in danger.

" Wow. Ok then. Well, it sure was nice talking to you now that I know who you really are. I like the name Carlos. It goes with how handsome you are."

Ranger smiled. "Thanks. You're beautiful yourself," he said giving her a kiss on the cheek. She got up and he watched her walk out of the room. He saw Mike out in the hall with two cups of coffee and he helped Ariana walk into her room. Ranger looked back at Steph sleeping. He had so much to tell his Babe when she woke up.

Ranger was about to get up to talk to Stephanie when Tank entered the room.

"How is she doing?"

"Good; she's still been sleeping so far. I just don't want to lose her."

"You're not going to lose her and she's very strong. So, when exactly did you get your memory back? What was it that triggered the change?"

"When you showed me Steph's pictures, they brought everything back. I'm glad we could all talk about everything while we were waiting for the surgeon to report on her. I still feel some things may be mixed up, but I know you guys will keep me straight."

"Yes we will. You had amnesia, it couldn't be helped. It's gonna take some time. Don't know if she still has amnesia. I guess you have to wait and find out. Anyways, Alex is safe and sound in New Jersey and awaiting to be taken to court."

"Good. Now we just have to find out where the other two bozos are."

"Don't worry; the police and the feds are looking for them, in addition to Rangeman. They won't get away."

Stephanie woke up and looked around. She noticed that she was in the hospital. She was trying to get comfortable when a nurse walked in.

"Hi, how are you feeling?"

"Like I've been in a fighting match. What happened?"

"You were beaten and thrown out of a van, unconscious. You had many contusions on your face and abdomen. You had a broken rib and were bleeding internally from your spleen which was so damaged we had to remove it."

"Oh my God! Where's Miguel?"

"Who's Miguel?"

"Miguel Garcia. The guy who beat me up last night."

"I don't know who you're talking about. You weren't with anyone. Someone threw you out of a van right onto the sidewalk outside the ER."

"Then I need to call Miguel to ask him what the hell happened to make him beat me."

"Hey there, you're awake. How are you, Babe?" asked Ranger smiling, as he walked into Steph's hospital room.

"She's asking about a Miguel Garcia."

Ranger froze and his smile faded.

"I need to call Miguel. Can I borrow your phone?"

"You have no idea who I am do you?"

The nurse left.

"No, should I?"

 _'Shit! She still has amnesia_.' Ranger thought.

"Yes. My name is Carlos Manoso, known as Ranger. We've been together for two years."

"Carlos Manoso. You're Miguel's cousin."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are, he told me so. He said we used to visit his mansion and then stopped coming because of the work he does."

"What does he do?"

"He's a gigolo. Where rich women..."

"Yes, I know what a gigolo does. What else did Miguel tell you?"

"That you and I would fight constantly and maybe that's why I don't remember you. He says I broke it off. So can you give me a phone so I can talk to Miguel?"

"Steph, Miguel Garcia is a drug lord, a killer. He's a very bad man and he has done nothing but lie to you."

"Not when I first met him, he wasn't. He was a very sweet man, kindhearted and a romantic. And then suddenly today, he started beating me until I was unconscious. That's the last I remember until I woke up here."

Ranger pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Steph.

"This is NOT a man who is sweet, kindhearted and romantic. This is a deadly monster who preys on unsuspecting people and runs drugs, ruining people's lives!"

"I need to call him to ask why he he me. It just doesn't make sense to me."

"Ok, give him a call. I have a proprietary Rangeman app on my phone that lets me record any conversation without the person I'm calling knowing that. If we get him to admit to beating you, we can add to his list of many charges on his record. After you have your questions answered, see if he'll come and see you. My guys and I can pick him up and cart him back to jail where he belongs." Ranger said, handing her his phone.

Steph took the phone, put it on Speaker and dialed his number. Ranger stood back a bit but stayed in the room and listened. He answered on the third ring.

"Hi Miguel, it's Stephanie."

"Hey Stephanie, how are you?"

"Not good. I'm in the hospital. I was thrown from a van after you beat me unconscious. Why the hell would you do that to me? It doesn'e make any sense!"

"I had to send a message to your boyfriend, Ranger. Tell him to back off and stay out of my business!"

"What kind of shitty idea was that? You mean you planned all this from the first time I met you in the other hospital in Trenton?"

 _'Oh, man, this isn't good! That asshole has just released Steph's Rhino! thought Ranger. 'Good thing I don't feel in the least sorry for him!'_

"Of course. What I really want to do is kill him and now, maybe you, too. You know, you were getting to me. As I got to know you, you became a person to me and not just another target. But when we made love and you whispered Ranger's name just as we both orgasmed, that was the end. That really pissed me off."

"But I wouldn't...I didn't...Shit! So I guess coming to see me is out."

"Stephanie, if I ever see you again, I wouldn't hesitate to kill you. You got off easy, bitch."

I HOPE YOU END UP ROTTING IN JAIL, YOU PRICK!" Stephanie shrieked into the phone. Miguel had disconnected their call by the time she finished.

Silence. Steph looked down at the phone and tears started to fall. Ranger picked up his phone and closed the app. Ranger's stomach fell when Miguel said they made love. He knew her having amnesia and not knowing anything would cause problems. He did the same with Ariana.

"If you don't mind, Ranger, I would like to be alone." Steph called for the nurse and requested her painkiller. On top of her other aches and pains, her head was killing her.

"Sure." Ranger Ranger just wanted to hold his Babe, but he left the room and rejoined his men in the waiting room.

"Everything ok?"

"Steph still has amnesia. Miguel has told her bullshit stories about us. He told her he was my cousin and he told her we used to visit his mansion and stopped coming because he's a gigolo. Also, he told her we broke up because we were constantly fighting and that's maybe what caused the accident and why she has amnesia. I told her he's a liar, a drug lord, and a killer and should her his Rap Sheet. She says he was sweet, kindhearted and romantic up until he suddenly started beating her. She couldn't understand why he would do that. She wanted to call him so I gave her the phone. I first set the Rangeman Listening App to record their conversation which she was aware of. I figured he might confess to beating her at the very least, which he did. It didn't end well. She went into Rhino Mode and he said if he ever saw her again he'd kill her. He also said that the beating was to tell me to back off and stay out of his business. There were tears in her eyes. She couldn't get him to agree to come see her. She said he treated her so well and last night...they made love. He was pissed because she whispered my name when she came."

"Wow! Hey, she's beginning to remember and that's good. The making love part, well that's what you did when you had amnesia. You didn't know who you were or what you were doing. Same thing with her. Hang in there. Once she gets her memory back, hopefully everything will be back to normal."

Tank, Lester and Bobby had to find a way to get Stephanie's more of her memory back and Tank had a plan.

 _ **Chapter 9**_

When Tank, Lester and Bobby entered Steph's room when they noticed that she was sleeping. They were about to walk out when she spoke.

"I'm awake. I was just resting. Who are you guys?"

"We work with Ranger. I'm Tank, this is Lester and that's Bobby."

"We want to show you pictures of you and Ranger together. Maybe something will spark a memory," said Bobby handing her a tablet.

"We'll leave and let you look through it," said Tank.

Steph turned on the tablet and browsed through the pictures. The guys went to the motel to get some sleep.

Several hours later, Ranger woke up feeling refreshed. He went to the bathroom and took a shower. His ribs were still hurting a bit, probably the result of all the crunches and push ups that he was doing each morning to get his body back in top shape. Twenty minutes later, he walked to a cafe to get something to eat. After that, he walked to the hospital and stopped by Ariana's room. He found Ariana and Mike kissing. He cleared his throat and they parted.

"I just came by to see how you were. Looks like you're doing good."

Ariana blushed.

"Yeah, you caught us. I'm doing well. I'm being released tomorrow. Mike and I are moving to Miami, Florida. We figured that area is a more popular place for a women-focused entertainment bar plus and the weather is warmer."

"Maybe you and Stephanie can come on down sometime and visit. Maybe show your moves," said Mike, grinning at Ranger.

"Nope, no more stripping for me."

"How is Stephanie?"

"She still has amnesia, but seems to be getting better. Don't know when she'll get to go home."

"Hopefully soon," empathized Ariana.

"I'm sure it'll come back in time," said Mike.

"I hope so. See you later."

Ranger walked to Steph's room. She was asleep and had a tablet on her lap. He looked at the picture she stopped at. It was a picture of them. They were at the beach and Ranger had his arms around her and they were looking at the ocean. She stirred and opened her eyes.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Ranger responded. "How are you feeling?"

"Not one hundred percent, but I'm getting there."

"I see you've been looking at pictures."

"Yeah. Tank, Lester and Bobby stopped by. They think by looking at some pictures it will get my memory back."

"Has it?"

"No, but I've seen a lot of pictures of us. Some of you alone standing beside a Porsche. Did something happen to this car?

"Yeah. Do you remember anything about that?"

"Um, bits and pieces."

"Hey there, how are you feeling?" asked the nurse.

"I'm getting there."

"Good. Would you like something to eat?"

"Yeah. I would love pancakes."

"Ok. Anything else?"

"Could you put chocolate chips in them?"

"I'll see what I can do," the nurse said leaving.

"You remembering that too?"

"Yeah, I guess. Do I usually put chocolate chips in my pancakes?"

"I sometimes let you get away with it, but I recommend you eating healthy."

"What is it that you get me to eat?"

"Eggs, fruit, toast. I try to get you away from junk food, such as..."

"Donuts?"

"Yea, exactly. I think you're getting some of your memory back."

"Hmmm, you'll have to tell me more how we met."

Ranger started to tell her how they met when her breakfast arrived. Steph opened the lid and smelled the deliciousness. She put tons of syrup on her pancakes and dug in. She maoned at the first bite.

"You do that all the time. Moan whenever you eat."

"Does that bother you?"

"Well, it kind of gives me ideas."

"Oh, then I won't do it anymore."

"It's ok. It's just part of what makes you special."

He told her more of each other as the nurse came in to retrieve her breakfast tray.

"Would it be ok if I brought her out to the roof to get some fresh air?" asked Ranger.

"I think that would be a great idea."

Ranger helped Stephanie into the wheelchair.

"Are you ok?" Ranger asked when he heard her gasp.

"Yes. This broken rib hurts like crazy whenever I move."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I had several broken ribs in our car wreck and they are still painful at times. They take the longest of any bones to heal, I swear."

They got into the elevator and up to the roof.

"Mmmm, outside air, it feels so good."

"It will make you feel better."

"Why are we hiding behind a wall?"

"There are a couple of bad guys out there who want to do us harm. I don't want to draw too much attention or be too easy of a target."

"Bad guys like Miguel?"

"Yes, bad guys like him and Jace. Steph, why did you go with Miguel? I know he told you things that weren't true, but why? You usually have a sixth sense about people. You call it your spidey sense. Did it not warn you of danger?"

"I don't know. It felt right at the time. He took me to his mansion and showed me around. He showed me the pool; it was like I was in Hawaii, with palm trees and tiki torches. Then he had like a real actual movie theater with posters and a lobby, quite cool. A 1950's diner with booths and all. It was a really cool place. Then he didn't think I would be safe there. So he took me to his cabin in the Catskills. It was nice also. He showed me around the lake, fed the ducks and had a picnic afterwards. Then that night, he cooked dinner and played board games. An hour later, I was getting tired, so he took me upstairs..."

"I don't need to know the rest. I just want to know why you did it."

"Maybe cause it felt right. I didn't know anyone, but they knew me and they were strangers to me. I didn't have a sense of danger until right before Miguel hit me. By then it was too late."

"Miguel wasn't a stranger? You let a drug lord take you. I know amnesia doesn't help, but you didn't know."

"Going to bed with him didn't help either. Just before, you know, the peak of our togetherness, Miguel told me to look at him and I did. Lightning flashed and I saw a vision of you and me. We were together smiling and laughing. How did I get amnesia?"

"How about I tell you that later. You're looking tired and you could use some rest," Ranger said unlocking the wheels on the wheelchair and getting in the elevator. When they reached her room, the nurse just was leaving the room.

"I put on fresh sheets. How are you feeling?"

"A little tired and I'm hurting some. Maybe I will take a nap," Steph said as Ranger helped her get in bed.

"Are you staying here?" Steph asked as she was all tucked in.

"Yes I am. I'm not going anywhere till you leave the hospital."

"Good, because I don't want you to leave." Steph somehow knew that having Ranger near her made her relax and not worry about anything but catching Zs. She's think more about that later, she mused while drifting off.

 _ **Chapter 10**_

Steph was dreaming she was riding in a car and Ranger was driving. They were speeding down the highway chasing a car as it was trying to make them crash. The second time the car swerved into them and it pushed them off the road. The flipped and rolled over and over and stopped. Steph sat up screaming. A nurse came running and found her sitting up, clutching her hospital gown and breathing hard.

"Are you ok?"

Steph nodded. Ranger came running in a second later.

"Are you ok? What happened?" Ranger asked.

"I was dreaming we were in a car chasing someone. The person in the other car was trying to force us to crash. The person succeeded the second time and the car rolled over and over and that's when I woke up. Did that really happen?"

"Why don't you sit back and I will tell what happened?"

"Can I get you anything?" the nurse asked.

"No, I'm fine."

"Ok, let me know if you do," the nurse said leaving.

Ranger let down the bed rails.

"Yes it did happen. You and I were in that car going after a skip. I am a bounty hunter and we work together. I own a company called Rangeman in New Jersey. I go by the name Ranger, but my real name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. I go by my street name Ranger that I got in the Army. You became a bounty hunter too when you needed a job. I mentored you and you did very well. Except sometimes you get into garbage and stuff like that and sometimes you don't have any luck with cars. They either get stolen or explode."

"Sounds like I'm a klutz."

"You're no klutz. You're a very extraordinary person. Anyways, we were going after a skip Alex Casey. She was wanted for murder and other things. We went to her house to try to bring her in, but she got away from us so we went after her. She drove into the highway and we drove up alongside her. She tried to run me off the road, but the second time, she hit my car so hard that it rolled over and over. We suffered severe head trauma which caused us both to have traumatic amnesia. I woke up one morning and left the hospital and I hailed a cab to New York. Don't ask me why, I really don't know. I just had this feeling that I wasn't safe there. The cab stopped in Manhattan and I saw a strip club. I didn't have any money to pay the fare so I went and asked this woman if she could lend me some money to pay for it. She did and I went back in and thanked her. I told her I'd pay her back if she gave me a job at her club. She said she already had a bartender so she gave a job as a strip dancer. So that night, I danced and stripped and I guess I didn't do too bad. I mean, all those women screaming. That first night I had enough in tips to pay back the money I borrowed and lots more."

"He did one hell of a good job. He even impressed me," Ariana said walking in. Steph noticed that this woman was very beautiful, almost exotic. She had the same skin tone as Ranger. She had the most beautiful hair, flawless skin and she was very slender. She looked like she could be a model. Steph watched the interaction between Ranger and Ariana. Should Steph be jealous of Ariana? Were these two a couple? She also noticed she was wearing a sling.

"Steph, I would like you to meet Ariana. She owns the strip club where I danced. She took a chance on me, both lending me cab fare, letting me stay in her late brother's room above the club."

"So good to meet you. So sorry for what happened to you," Ariana said extending her hand. Steph shook her hands with her.

"What happened to you?" Steph asked.

"I got shot in the back by a crazy idiot. My thanks go to this handsome man here who saved my life." Ariana said looking him in the eye.

Steph somehow was feeling very uncomfortable at what she was seeing. Should she be jealous?

"Oh, guess what? I'm being released tonight instead of tomorrow. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yes it is." Ranger said smiling.

"I have to go lay down. It was great meeting you Stephanie. Get well soon," said Ariana leaving the room.

"You two seem close."

"Yeah, we became great friends," Ranger said taking her hand and thought this was a good time to tell Steph about Ariana and him.

"Steph, there is something I need to tell you. The night we were in Atlantic City to do a show, Ariana was attacked by her ex-boyfriend, Jace. I pulled him off of her and held onto him until the police arrived and he was arrested. So we stayed at the hotel because it was too late to drive back and she was a wreck afterwards. We found a room and I comforted her. One thing led to another and we had sex."

Stephanie's stomach turned and she let go of Ranger's hands and looked away.

"I didn't have any memories of the past and you. It was just sex, not love. I kept my eyes closed and then she told me to open them. I noticed that her eyes weren't blue. That's when I saw a vision of a woman with blue eyes and long curly brown hair. I saw us together and now we have found each other. It's just like when you were with Miguel, you just had sex, it wasn't love."

Steph's brow furrowed as her thoughts were swirling around in her head.

"I'm just now remembering something. Was there a deal we made in the past? We sealed a deal about something and we had sex and then you left the next day. What was that about?"

Ranger's eyes closed as he mentally cringed. _'She HAD to remember THAT? Shit!'_ He took a deep breath.

"I collected a debt which I totally regret. It was our first time together. The sex was great, but what I did was totally wrong."

"I saw a little girl in some pictures in that tablet. Do you know who that is?"

"My daughter Julie. She's ten and lives with her mother in Miami, Florida. Rachel is her name. She's now married to someone else."

"How long have you been divorced?"

"Rachel and I weren't married for about two minutes. We met while I was on leave from the Army. We had a few drinks and had a wild night. I left the next day and a month later she calls me up and tells me she's pregnant."

"So you had a one night stand with her."

"Yes I did. I didn't plan on getting her pregnant. She said she was on the pill, but I guess no method is foolproof. I did marry her so that she and the baby would have Army benefits for the pregnancy and birth. Then after Julie was born, I divorced Rachel. I still send her child support each month."

"Do you still see Julie?"

"Yes I do."

"Have I met her? I'm now remembering something where she got kidnapped by someone."

"Yeah she was. She was kidnapped by a man named Edward Scrog. He was impersonating me. He kidnapped her to get me. You were trying to save her and allowed yourself to be kidnapped so you could be with Julie and try to protect her from Scrog. That was amazingly brave and loving of you to put yourself at risk for her...for me. He was at your old apartment waiting for me and he shot me and Julie killed him. I was taken to the hospital and managed to survive."

"I remember that now. That was the time I I finally realized I fell in love with you and you didn't want anything to do with me. You kept pushing me away and told me to go with..."

"Morelli. He's a cop. I know I said all those things to you, but now things have changed. I got my head out of my ass and finally admitted that I love you and wanted a relationship with you. We've been together for two years."

"I remember you have been with so many women in the past, but the interaction between you and Ariana earlier actually hurts," said Steph wiping her eye. "She's very beautiful and has a nice figure. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to date her."

"I'm not interested in her. Yeah, she's beautiful, but I don't love her. I love you and only you."

Steph looked at him and saw hope in his eyes. When he touched her, she shrugged it off.

"I need to be alone," Steph said as tears started to fall.

"Ok. I'll be close by if you need anything," Ranger said slowly walking to the door. He looked at her before walking out the door. She had her hands on her face and crying quietly.

A few hours later, Stephanie was looking out the window when she a heard a soft knock. She turned to see that it was Ariana.

"Hi," said Ariana.

"Hi," Steph responded.

"I just came here to say goodbye."

Stephanie said nothing.

"I couldn't help overhearing the conversation you had with Ranger. What happened in Atlantic City in the hotel room just happened. It was just sex, not about love. He had amnesia and didn't know you or anybody. I told him how I felt about him, but he never said anything in return how he felt about me. I knew there was someone out there waiting for him, I could see it in his eyes. He loves you Stephanie. I know he's very handsome and women look at him trying to get his attention, but he only has eyes for you. I have to go and it was nice meeting you. Give Ranger a second chance."

Steph heard her walk out the door as she continued to look out the window. She heard the door open again.

"Hey Steph, I brought your supper," the nurse said placing the tray on the table. Steph turned to see the nurse.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"Is something wrong? Are you feeling pain?"

"Physically no, emotionally yes."

"Yeah, I kind of heard bits and pieces of the conversation and I know how you feel that woman is beautiful and you feel like you aren't. You may feel that now, but when all those bruises go away, you'll feel like yourself again."

"Do you know when I can go home?"

"Do you even know where home is? Did your memory return to you?"

"Some memories have returned, but most of it is a bit fuzzy as my brain is trying to sort out the timeline of these events. That's what seems the hardest."

"I'll ask the doctor and he'll come see you later or in the morning."

She nodded.

"I've been watching that young man out there, looking glum. He looks lost without you. I'll be back later and I'll have the doctor come see you."

"Thanks."

Steph could only eat half of what was on her plate. Too much was on her mind and she was feeling tired. _'I'll think more about that later. I need some rest.'_ She fell asleep a few minutes later.

 _ **Chapter 11**_

Ranger was sleeping soundly when his phone chirped.

"Yo."

"Hello Manoso, how are you doing?"

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember me? My feelings are hurt. This is Garcia."

Ranger sat up

"What do you want?"

"So now you remember. So what do you think Stephanie? Looks pretty good doesn't it?"

"You did this! I'm going to find you and kill you!"

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

"Why did you do this?"

"For getting back at you for killing my wife. She died right in my arms. You do remember that don't you?"

"Your wife got in the way in the line of fire. I was aiming for you. I'm surely not going to miss this time."

"First you have to find me then you can try to kill me."

"Where are you?"

"I'm nearby. Maybe I'll pay Stephanie a visit in the hospital. She wanted me to come see her, which maybe I will."

Then the phone died. Ranger quickly put on his shirt and raced out of the motel. He ran to the hospital, down the hall and to her room. What he found was the doctor checking Steph over.

"You're ok?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Never mind. How is she?"

"Very good. Everything is healing nicely. I think she'll be able to go home later this afternoon."

"Great, glad to hear it," said Ranger.

"Is everything ok? You ran in here like the hounds of hell were after you."

"I just got a call from Garcia. He wanted to know what I thought of what he did to you. When I see him I'm going to kill him! He took you because I inadvertently killed his wife. She got in the way when I was trying to shoot Garcia. I ran here because he said he going to pay you a visit, so I hurried over here. I'm going to have this floor secured until we leave."

Things went smoothly all morning and afternoon. The doctor gave Ranger the release papers. Ranger helped Stephanie into a wheelchair and met Tank, Lester and Bobby outside. Ranger helped Steph get in the back seat of the six door ESV Escalade. Bobby sat in the middle, Tank drove and Lester in the passenger seat. The middle and the back windows were tinted and the vehicle was bullet proof.

"Are you comfortable?" asked Ranger.

"Yes."

"Would you like to continue our conversation about us? I would think you have enough time think about things."

"Not here. We can talk about it when we get back to..."

"Rangeman," they both said in unison.

The drive to New Jersey went smoothly. Ranger carried Steph to the elevator, all the way to the seventh floor. When they entered the apartment, Ranger set her down on the couch. Bobby put her medication on the coffee table and her crutches on the floor beside the couch.

"Anything looking familiar to you?" asked Bobby.

"No, but I know something will," she said looking around.

"You look like you need to rest. Everything you need is within reach. I'll check on you later," said Bobby leaving.

"Are you hungry? I can call Ella and bring you something to eat."

"Ella is the housekeeper right?"

"Yes she is."

"She's also hispanic?"

"Yes she is. Wow, I guess it's coming back progressively."

"Yeah, seems to be and the answer to your question, no I'm not hungry."

Ok. I'm going downstairs to do some work. Call if you need anything," Ranger said walking out.

She found the remote and turned on the TV. She found the movie Ghostbusters, put down the remote, got comfortable and watched the movie.

Three hours later, Ranger walked in the apartment and found Steph asleep. He turned off the TV and went to go take a shower. Fifteen minutes later, Steph woke and realized she really had to go to the bathroom. She quickly grabbed her crutches and quickly went to the bathroom. When she reached the corner of the bedroom, she ran into a wall of naked mocha latte skin, which Steph presumed was Ranger's chest. She almost fell backwards, but Ranger caught her in time. Steph inhaled and smelled something nice; very nice; sexy and nice. She didn't want to let go of Ranger, but Nature's call was very insistent.

"I really have to pee and I am going to shower."

"Sure. Just use a plastic cover for your ankle so your cast doesn't get wet," Ranger said looking into her eyes. Steph broke eye contact and quickly hobbled into the bathroom.

"Are you hungry at all?" yelled Ranger.

"Sure I could eat."

"Great, I'm going to call Ella. Be careful in there."

Steph was careful. She opened the bottle of soap she found on the shelf. _'So that was what Ranger was using. Smells so good.'_ Steph thought as she closed her eyes. She had a quick flash of Ranger and her in the shower, washing each other and doing it so sensuously that it was leading to...Steph gasped and her eyes flew open as she dropped the bottle of soap. She picked the bottle back up as her breathing slowed down again and got down to the business of getting clean. Twenty minutes later, she felt better. She put on sweats and a black tank top. When she made her way to the dining room, she saw Ella putting plates on the table.

"Hi Steph, how are you?" It was so hard for Ella not to hug her 'adopted daughter' but she didn't want to startle her.

"I'm fine Ella."

"It's good to have both of you back." Ella said pushing the cart out the door. Steph lifted the lid and found roasted chicken, rice and mixed vegetables. They ate in silence.

"So, have you been thinking about what we talked about in the hospital room?"

Steph just stared at her food.

"I know it wasn't your fault that you had amnesia and slept with Ariana. You didn't know who you were and didn't know who I was. It wasn't my fault for sleeping with Miguel. I didn't know anything of you or myself. But for some reason, afterwards I felt so dirty. Answer me this, did you sleep with her again?"

Ranger looked down then back at her.

"Yes I did. Then I told myself I shouldn't be doing this. Somehow I knew there was someone out there looking for me, I just didn't know if you were real or not. The night Ariana was kidnapped, she asked me if I loved her. I didn't say anything. I didn't know if you were real or not. Then Tank told me all about you and showed me a picture of you. Then I said to myself, you are real. Then I saw you all beat up and that's when things started coming back. When you were asleep. I told Ariana about us. That we've been together for two years and what we do. I told her we were pursuing Alex Casey and what happened afterwards. I told her the reason I left the hospital is that I thought I was in some kind of danger if I stayed there. When I walked out of the hospital, New York popped in to my head. I hailed a cab. Why I went to a strip club, I don't know. I guess I was pretty good from the way Ariana was talking about it. I told her I had a vision of you when Ariana and I..."

Steph looked away from him.

"I told her I didn't want to hurt her like this. She said it hurt some, but then someone else came into her life, her bartender, Mike. She said he kept asking her out and she kept turning him down. But then she finally relented. She said that she now knows that Mike is the one for her."

"When I first saw Ariana, I was jealous of her," Steph confessed She is a very beautiful woman, almost exotic. She has such gorgeous, flawless skin and in shape. Look at me, I don't look like that. Ariana should be a model instead of a club owner."

"Steph, you're beautiful. I love your hair and your shape and you have flawless skin. Bit if you want more muscle tone, I can help you exercise and train you with all sorts of stuff. Just know that I love you the way you are. Nothing will change that."

"Then I saw the interaction between you two. For some reason, I asked myself, should I be jealous, are you two a couple? You don't know how uncomfortable I felt. And I couldn't figure out why I felt that way, since I didn't know you. It's been a crazy emotional roller coaster ride."

"I'm sorry you felt that way. There's no reason to be jealous, Babe. I love you and only you. I hope we can continue where we left off in our life together before all this chaos happened. That is if you can remember. Don't give up on us, remember us."

Steph stayed silent. Just then Ranger's phone chirped.

"Yo. I will be right down. Problem with one of the accounts," Ranger said getting up. "I hope we can continue this later," Ranger said touching her shoulder as he leaned over and gave a chaste kiss on her lips and walked out the door. Stephanie was tired of her mind being a jumbled mess that she broke down crying.

 _ **Chapter 12**_

When Ranger arrived at the Dallas mansion, he looked around the perimeter and nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. The Dallas' were on vacation in the Bahamas. When Ranger walked back to his truck and was to about get in it, everything went black._

Two hours later, Steph turned off the TV and went downstairs to five. She made her way to Tank's office. She found him in there and sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

"Ranger has been gone for two hours. How long does it take it to check out a problem with an account?"

"Not long. If he found something wrong like a break in, he would have to notify the police and the owners. If he didn't find a problem, he would come right back. Maybe he wanted alone time. Give it another hour. How are you feeling?"

"Ok I guess."

"Anything coming back to you up there?" asked Tank he as tapped his temple.

"Some. I knew Ella right away when she came up to bring dinner. That's progress right?"

"Yeah it is," said Tank as his phone chirped.

"Hello."

Tank listened and then handed his phone to Steph.

"Hello?"

"Hello Stephanie, you miss me?"

"Miguel. What do you want you slimy bastard?" Steph asked putting the phone on Speaker.

"That's not the way to talk to an old friend is it?"

"We were never friends and I should've killed you in your sleep!"

"Harsh words from someone like you."

"You haven't seen the real me yet!" Steph sneered.

"Ooh, is that a threat or a promise?" Miguel taunted.

"It's both," she affirmed.

"Well, I have someone here you know very well. Would you like to speak to him?"

"Babe?"

"Ranger? Are you ok? What happened?"

"I just knocked him out when he was walking to his truck. No beating or anything. Well, there could be some beating and cutting later. I haven't decided what I want to do yet. Ranger and I are going to chat first before I do anything."

"You kill him, I kill you."

"Who said anything about killing? We're just going to have a nice chat, but there is something I would like you to do. Meet me in Point Pleasant. I will be at an old beach house at the south end. I want 10 grand in two hours. If I don't have 10 grand in two hours, he's dead," Miguel said, hanging up.

"We'll handle this. We already have 5 grand in that bag we brought last time. I just need to get another 5 grand. I'm going to assemble a team."

"I'm going with you."

"No you can't. You're injured."

"Ranger is going to die if we don't get moving. I'm going with you and that's final," Steph said getting up. She ignored her ankle and rode the elevator up to seven. She changed her clothes, took a couple of Ibuprofen and left the apartment. She met the guys in the garage with the bag of money and they were on their way to Point Pleasant.

Miguel hung Ranger with chains, his arms stretching up towards the ceiling joists in the basement. His ankles were strapped to the floor to keep him from moving.

"Would you like some water?" asked Miguel.

Ranger just stared at him.

"No? Give him some water," Miguel said to Jace, who splashed water on Ranger's face.

"You really think Stephanie is going to give you the money?"

"Yes. Your life depends on it. If she forgets and doesn't bring the money, I'll kill you, then I will go after her, get the money and then I will kill her."

"She'll kill you first."

"Not if I kill her first. She's too stupid, pretty, but stupid."

"She's not stupid."

"Whatever. I'm going to get my revenge," Miguel said grabbing the electrodes he just plugged in. "My wife will be so happy to see you die," Miguel said touching the electrodes to Ranger's chest. Jace flipped the surge switch sending live current through Ranger's body. Ranger yelled so loud, he thought people in the next town could hear him. Miguel smirked and took them off his chest.

"Let's try a little higher and see what happens," said Miguel.

Ranger yelled louder this time.

"Do you know which house he is at?" Steph asked. Looking at two houses. side by side that looked identical.

"That one over there. Isn't that the van Jace got away in?" asked Lester.

"Looks like it. Let's go check out the first one," said Tank. As Steph walked over to a set of wooden bulkhead doors to the cellar, she heard yelling. Sounded like Ranger's voice.

"Pssst! Guys, Ranger is down there. We need a distraction," whispered Steph. "I have an idea."

You know, forget going slow. Turn it all the way up," Miguel said to Jace. They froze when they heard a pounding upstairs.

"Go check that out. It could be Steph with the money."

Jace pulled out his gun as he was walking up the stairs. He opened the front door and didn't see anyone. He walked further out as Lester walked behind him and knocked him out.

"As soon as Steph brings down the money, you're dead and so is she. I wonder what's taking them so long?" Miguel asked.

"Maybe you should go look," replied Ranger.

"You will shut up," said Miguel backhanding Ranger in the face.

Miguel looked back up the stairs.

"I guess I have to do this myself," he said pulling out his gun and walking up the stairs. Ranger tried to get out of the chains, but he was too weak. Steph watched from the corner of the house, peeking around the edge to see if Miguel would come out. Nothing. She looked in the cellar window to see if Miguel was down there. She didn't see him, so she opened the outside bulkhead doors which were unlocked and went downstairs to the cellar. She saw Ranger chained to a ceiling joist. His face was bruised and bloody and chest was cut up.

"Babe, is that you?" Ranger whispered.

"Yes, but we have to hurry before he comes back," she said quietly, unlocking the chains and undoing the straps around his ankles. Steph helped Ranger walk up the stairsto the outside through the open bulkhead doors. As they reached the top step, Miguel grabbed Stephanie and she screamed. Ranger turned and was just about to attack Miguel.

"Uh, I don't think so," Miguel said, pulling out his gun and aiming it at Ranger.

"You don't want to kill her, kill me."

"Yes I will do that. I'm going to kill you first."

"Why don't we fight to see who the better fighter is. Come on, you up for it?" asked Ranger.

"Ok. Let's go for it." said Miguel, shoving Stephanie down. She hit her head hard on the ground. She saw stars and everything was spinning.

"Are you ok?" Tank asked Steph. She conscious but didn't respond to him. Steph looked woozy and her eyes were glazed with her hand cradling her newest head bump. Bobby ran over to her and pulled her as far away from Miguel and Ranger as he could, then assessed her head injury. Lester and Tank kept their focus on the two combatants.

Miguel put his gun down and got into fighting position. Miguel made the first move by trying to punch him, but Ranger easily blocked the move. Miguel swiftly kicked out his left leg and hit Ranger in the hip and knocking him down. Ranger quickly jumped up and circled around Miguel. Ranger swung his right leg into Miguel's left leg,dropping him to the ground. He quickly got back up and ran toward Ranger who punched Miguel in the face while using his momentum to smash Miguel's face into the ground hard. Miguel's nose started bleeding.

"Had enough?"

"No. I'll never be done with you," Miguel said, getting up and charging for Ranger. Ranger hit Miguel's chest hard forcing him to fall backwards hard on the ground. Ranger waited for him to get up, but he didn't. Miguel was out cold.

Ranger turned to Steph. As she rose, shakily, from the ground with Bobby's help, she noticed he looked tired and was about to fall over. She ran over to hug him.

"I'm so glad he didn't kill you," said Steph, hugging him tightly.

"I'm so glad he didn't kill you either," Ranger replied, pushing away so he could look at her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yes I am. I love you Ranger."

He smiled his 200 watt smile. "I love you, too," Ranger said as they kissed. He pushed away a little. "Does this mean your memory is back?"

"Yes," she grinned.

"When?"

"When Miguel pushed me and I fell on the ground and hit my head."

Ranger kissed her senseless. Tank, Bobby and Lester cheered for them both.

It was then that Miguel woke up to see Steph and Ranger kissing. He stealthily picked up his gun and was about to shoot them when several voices shouted.

"Ranger, look out!" as they were aiming their weapons. Ranger and Steph jumped, looking around for the danger, and in that split second, a shot rang out.

Miguel had been shot in the head and crumpled lifelessly to the ground, his unused gun dropping harmlessly by his side. Tank, Lester and Bobby looked at each other, looked down at their own guns, then turned around and saw that Jace had shot Miguel. All of the men quirked one eyebrow at Jace, who shrugged and said,

"I never liked that son of a bitch!"

Thirty minutes later, the police, forensics and ambulances arrived at the scene. Bobby tended to Ranger's wounds as Steph continued to hold his hand, unwilling to give up their regenerated connection. He had some cuts on his chest that didn't need stitches. A few cuts on his face and some bruising. Miguel's punches earlier had aggravated Ranger's tender ribs setting back his timeline for complete healing. An hour and a half later, after all the statements were given, Ranger and Steph made their way back to Rangeman and held each other close as they slept peacefully together for the first time in a long while.

 _ **Chapter 13**_

The next morning, Ranger and Steph stayed in bed in each others arms, kissing and cuddling.

"You know, it would really be nice if we made love," said Steph.

"Yeah, but my ribs aren't healed. We have to be careful of all of our injuries."

"Yeah, but our mouths aren't injured."

No matter what they tried, it wasn't working. They couldn't seem to find a comfortable position for both of them. Finally, Steph rolled her eyes and carefully sat up.

"Let's see what is going on in the world," said Steph turning on her laptop. She went to her email and had a notification from Facebook. She clicked it and a video showed up. She clicked the video and it was Ranger dancing at Savage Men.

"Oh my, look at this!" said Steph, showing Ranger. "Someone posted a video of you when you were dancing at Savage Men," Steph said as they watched it together. Wow! You did a good job," said Steph with a cheeky grin plastered on her face.

"Yeah, and you will never see that again." Ranger said closing her laptop and covering them with the covers.

"Not even if I ask you for a private dance?" Steph said in sex kitten tone of voice. She tried to move up kiss him.

"Ow! Having broken ribs is a bitch!" Ranger said as they pulled apart.

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Steph commiserated.

"An hour later, after they showered and ate, they headed down to five. Mail was left on Ranger's desk. He flipped through them when one caught his eye. It was a letter from Ariana. He opened the envelope and saw that it was an invite to an opening of Ariana's and Mike's new Dance Club called The Aura. Ranger walked over to Steph's office.

"Hey Babe, I got an invitation from Ariana. She and Mike just opened a new dance club and they invited us."

"A dance club and not a strip club?"

"I guess she wanted a change."

"When is it?"

"This coming Saturday."

"Can we make that?"

"Sure we can."

They took a noon flight out of Philly on Saturday. The flight took three hours. They arrived at International Miami Airport and took a cab to the club.

"Are you sure they're open?"

"Oh yeah. They're not expecting us till tonight, but I want to surprise them."

They arrived at The Aura twenty minutes later. Ranger opened the door and found Ariana at the bar with her back to them.

"The club is closed. We don't open till 8."

"Not even for old friends?"

Ariana turned around and found Ranger and Steph standing behind the stools.

"Oh my God! You did come!" Ariana said, running to Ranger and Steph and gave Ranger a big hug.

"I'm so glad you're here," Ariana said, hugging him tightly. Ariana pushed away and looked at Steph.

"How are you doing? You look better. Have you gotten your memory back?"

"Yes I have."

"When did it come back?"

"We had an alarm go off at one of our an accounts. I had to go check it out. They have a mansion so something triggered an alarm. The family was away on vacation in The Bahamas. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary so when I went to leave, I got knocked out. When I came to, I was chained down in the basement of an old house. It was Miguel Garcia. There he tortured me while he waited for $10,000 to be delivered within two hours."

"That's terrible."

"Steph helped me men create a distraction to have Miguel come out, but Jace came out instead. Jace went to go investigate and got knocked out. When Jace didn't come back, Miguel went out to investigate. Steph came down and rescued me and tried to quickly get me out of there. But when we reached the top of the stairs, he caught us. He was going to kill us both. He grabbed Steph and to stop him from killing us there there, I challenged him to a fight to see who is the best fighter. He agreed to competition and he pushed Steph away and she fell to the ground. We fought and then I punched him in the face and fell to the ground. I asked him if he had enough and he said no. He got up and charged at me and I hit him in the chest hard. Miguel went down hard and was out cold. I thought I killed him, but I didn't. I saw Steph and grabbed her into a hug and we comforted each other. The next thing I know, someone shouts, lookout. Someone shot Miguel in the head. We turn around and see that it was Jace who shot him. He said he never liked the son of a bitch. He confessed to everything and was arrested."

Wow. I'm glad he got arrested and put in jail. That's what he deserves. I'm glad everything is back to normal. So, how did you get your memory back?"

"I hit my head hard when Miguel shoved me and I landed on the ground. Everything came back to me."

"Good, I'm glad to see you two together."

Just then Mike walked in the room.

"Hey! So happy you two could make it," he said, hugging Steph and shaking hands with Ranger.

"Will you be joining us tonight?"

"Oh yes, we are," said Steph smiling.

"We also have some news to tell," said Ariana smiling at Mike. "We're getting married!" Ariana said, holding out her hand.

"Congratulations!" said Steph hugging Ariana.

"How about you two? Any plans on getting married?" asked Ariana.

"No, we already had a discussion about that and we like the way things are."

"Oh, that's ok. You two look so good together that I figured you would want to get married, but that's ok, everyone is different."

That night, the club was crowded.

"It sure is crowded," remarked Ranger, as he looked around and saw wall-to-wall customers.

"That's what happens when you open a new club. Everybody wants to come check it out. I just hope a new one doesn't open across the street," Ariana said.

"I doubt that will happen. It looks filled in with other types of businesses already. Do you miss Savage Men?" asked Ranger.

"Yeah I do, but I wanted to move on and do something different. So, are things good with you and Stephanie?" Ariana asked looking at Steph dancing with Mike.

"Yes. It is. Things are better than ever."

"That's what I like to hear. So, did you ever find the money that my brother Jim was supposed to pay Miguel?"

"No, never did. It's gone forever."

"Well, let's make a toast to new beginnings and to my brother, may he rest in peace," Ariana said as they both raised a glass and drank their drinks. A slow song came on.

"I think we should go dance with Steph and Mike. We've been away from them long enough." said Ariana.

They made their way to the dance floor.

"May I cut in?" asked Ranger.

"Sure, go ahead," said Mike as he turned to take Ariana in his arms.

"Hi there." said Steph.

"Hi yourself," said Ranger. "Having a good time?"

"Yes. This place is very nice. Ariana did a good job."

"Yes she did. So, do you want to get married?" asked Ranger, changing the subject unexpectedly.

"Ranger, we already had this discussion. Did Ariana put that idea in your head?"

"No. I just thought since they were getting married, you might be having seconds thoughts."

"No. I like the way things are."

"So do I," Ranger said kissing her.

They stayed at the club till closing. A year later, Steph and Ranger got married. They both had a change of heart.

It might have been a pictureque scene at dawn, with steam rising from the top of the mountain and seagulls keening as the swooped down looking for for treasures to eat. The stench of decay yanked us back to reality/ The garbage truck made its way into New York Waste Solution. The truck drove around, dumped its contents and drove back to the city to fill up again. In the pile of garbage, was a bag of money. A seemingly unending line of trucks filled with trash dumped their contents over this load, burying the bag, never to be found.


End file.
